Pythons

Pythons are snakes that can grow to quite
long lenghts but are non venomous and not dangerous to adults,
though care should be taken with babies, small children and household
pets if there are large pythons around.

The Amethystine Python can grow up to 8.5 metres,
the one above being held by the Masons at Cape Tribulation is "only"
4.5 metres. Pythons are often on the move at night and their skin
gives the shine of amethyst in the headlights of your car, hence
their name. This is by no means the largest python, in January 2004
villagers in Sumatra caught a python that measured 15 metres and
weighed 450 kg!

To give you some idea of how big pythons can get, check out these
pics of an African rock python, some tourists came across this snake
caught in an electric fence, being continually shocked, and getting
very angry! The group wondering what to do, decided to divert the
current, cut the wire AND let the snake go! (thinking this was the
humane thing to do). When the property owner found out he went ballistic,
besides being upset about his fence, the snake had been eating lambs
in the area, and he'd been trying to catch it for ages. The farmer
did not appreciate the help!

Somebody sent us this pic of a python that had en encounter with
a cat:

Pythons do not always hang out in the forest, this
one was found on the beach at Cedar Bay, north Queensland: